Handling and disposal of hospital refuse and other medical refuse has always been a problem because of the possibility of infection from contact with it. Hypodermic needles and other sharp medical instruments are items of special concern. A needle which is HIV contaminated is a potentially deadly instrument.
A typical hypodermic syringe has a removable protective needle cap which fits over the needle and is held in place by frictional or threaded engagement with the needle hub. The cap is a small slender piece. Once it is removed, replacing it over the needle is risky. Such practice is discouraged. Used syringes are sometimes simply dropped on the floor during life saving treatment in a trauma center or emergency room, creating a danger to anyone involved in the emergency and to those cleaning up or walking on the debris. These risks exist even in normal use of these devices, until they are properly disposed of.
Needle sticks account for 35% of the hospital-related injuries. There were 800,000 needle stick injuries reported in 1987. These statistics clearly show a needle for improved apparatus and techniques for handling needles.
It is an object of this invention to provide a hypodermic needle disposal system which is effective and which will encourage use because of its simplicity and convenience.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,929 to Kubofcik, issued Aug. 13, 1991, is the most relevant prior art that we know of. Kubofcik discloses a sharps disposal system including an array of vertical tubes, resembling the arrangement of test tubes in a rack. Each tube contains a curable liquid and a seal over the top. A used syringe or other sharp instrument is inserted through the seal and into the liquid, which then forms a hardened coating on the instrument.